Hyannis man charged in vending machine theft

A security camera and police surveillance led to the arrest of a Hyannis man Sunday, accused of stealing cash and soft drinks from a vending machine owned by his former employer.

CAPE COD TIMES

HYANNIS — A security camera and police surveillance led to the arrest of a Hyannis man Sunday, accused of stealing cash and soft drinks from a vending machine owned by his former employer.

Sirlei Coelho, 45, was charged with larceny after he was found carrying $100 worth of marked bills that had been placed in a soft drink machine at the Steamship Authority building in Hyannis, according to Barnstable police.

Police were called by security at the Steamship Authority last week to report thefts from a soft drink vending machine. The security director told police that the concessionaire company reported a loss of over $1,000 since May.

Police said the security director reviewed surveillance tapes for Aug. 17 and saw a man open the soft drink machine, remove three cans of soda, close the machine and leave. According to police, the owner of the concessionaire company identified the man as Coelho, a former employee.

On Sunday Barnstable police met with the company owner and the Steamship Authority security director. Marked bills were placed in the vending machine, then police, security and the company owner monitored the machine via security camera.

Police said Coelho appeared shortly before 7:30 p.m., opened the machine, removed a wad of cash then left.

He was stopped outside the building and arrested, according to Barnstable Sgt. Sean Sweeney.

Police said Coelho had a fob, which is used to open vending machines, $120 in one-dollar bills in his pants pocket and $2,864 in a wallet when arrested.

According to police, Coelho refused to let them tape-record the interview, but that he said he worked for the vending company from May to October last year, and found the fob outside the ferry terminal in July. Police said Coelho admitted to using it four times since finding it.

He said the cash in his wallet came from paychecks and that he earns $333 a week working for the town of Barnstable Structures and Grounds Department.

Coelho pleaded not guilty in Barnstable District Court yesterday to charges of breaking into a depository, larceny of a value less than $250 and possession of a burglar's tool.